Sir Simon Fraser

Chatham House

Deputy Chairman

Simon Fraser is a co-founder of the business advisory firm Flint Global. He supports clients managing complex European and international policy issues, including their response to the challenges of Brexit. Simon is an influential public policy commentator and adviser to senior corporate leaders. From 2010 to 2015 Simon was Head of the UK Foreign Office and Diplomatic Service. In this role, he was the senior foreign policy adviser to the British Foreign Secretary, ran the UK’s global network of Embassies and sat on the National Security Council. In 2009-10, as Permanent Secretary, Simon led the UK Department for Business through the immediate aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, playing a central role in devising and delivering the Government’s strategy for economic recovery. Prior to that Simon was for four years Chief of Staff to the European Commissioner for Trade in Brussels. In 2006 he led the drafting of the EU’s new agenda for negotiating global free trade agreements, including with Canada, South Korea and Japan. He was also closely engaged in EU trade negotiations with the United States and China. Simon is Deputy Chairman of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House).